AEW Rumors: Internal Talks About Signing Controversial Free Agent Have Reportedly Caused Divisions Backstage

Citing Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, some influencers in the AEW locker room want the company to hire Tessa Blanchard. However, the conversations have supposedy proven to be divisive behind the scenes.

Blanchard is considered by most as a talented performer, but she’d come to the company with a lot of potential baggage. As The Inquisitr previously documented, she has faced accusations of racism and bullying in the past.

The former Impact Wrestling star also has the reputation of being someone who is difficult to work with, which could be why some AEW officials are hesitant to recruit her.

In a separate report by The Inquisitr, it was revealed that Blanchard left Impact Wrestling in a chaotic manner. She failed to send in promos for a major title storyline she was involved in ahead of last year’s Slamiversary pay-per-view. This led to her being fired, despite being the company’s World Champion at the time.

However, the latest development noted that some influential people backstage are willing to overlook these report mishaps and give her a chance. However, on the other side of the coin, there are those who are vehemently opposed to the idea.

As The Sportster pointed out, AEW president Tony Khan has been openly critical of wrestlers with histories of racial incidents in the past. He once said that he’ll never allow Hulk Hogan to step foot in an AEW arena following the legend’s misdemeanors from a few years ago. The accusations lobbied against Blanchard are similar to those associated with Hogan.

Blanchard has denied the reports about her, however. Furthermore, as the first Inquisitr article stated, some of her peers — including Tommy Dreamer, who has worked with AEW in the past — have stated that the rumors about her are false.

The Sportster report noted that Blanchard is viewed by her supporters as the answer to improving the promotion’s lackluster women’s division. She is one of the most popular female athletes in the entire industry at the moment, and her championship credentials speak for themselves.

At the same time, officials are also wary of the bad publicity that could arise from hiring Blanchard. The promotion has been praised for its progressive approach to the business, and hiring a controversial star such as Blanchard could taint that reputation.

WWE is also reportedly interested in acquiring Blanchard’s services, so AEW will need to act quickly if they intend on giving her a shot.